I. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to mailing labels. More particularly, systems and methods are provided for enabling a user to produce an Express Mail label, such that the Express Mail label is printable by the user on a single-sheet label.
II. Background Information
Express Mail is the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) premier service and offers guaranteed next-day and second-day delivery service 365 days a year, including weekends and holidays. Letters, documents, merchandise, and packages may be sent using Express Mail, with a refund provided to the sender if the shipment is delivered later than the guaranteed delivery date.
Currently, a user mailing a letter or package is required to use a USPS multiple sheet Express Mail label, such as USPS Label 11-B. These labels include four sheets and are thus difficult to automate, since they must be hand-printed or generated on a dot-matrix printer. Because most users prefer laser or thermal printers, these multiple sheet labels cannot be used.
Accordingly, there is a need to allow users to print black and white, single-sheet labels online for all USPS product lines (i.e., overnight, second-day, and ground service). Moreover, there is also a need to allow users to automate their mailing operations and print shipping labels directly from local or network printers.